Sludge Report #196: Invitation To An Online Media Shooting

Tuesday, 13 December 2011, 12:17 pm
Opinion: C.D. Sludge

Dear Scoop Readers,

Yesterday the Law Commission published an issues report on regulation of online media. It is a very significant milestone in the response of the NZ legal system to challenges faced by both the media (and the public in Social Media) emanating from the Internet. (See…http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1112/S00123/issues-paper-the-news-media-meets-new-media.htm)

It includes extensive discussion of the existing law, a rationale for some form of regulation and discusses possible structures. It is the beginning of the next chapter of media law in New Zealand. Great thanks are due to former Sunday Star Times editir Cate Brett and Professor John Burrows for their work on putting it together.

Russell Brown blogged on it here…
http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/news-media-meets-new-media-privileges-and/

…he says this week's Media 7 (Thursday Night. 9.05pm) will deal with the subject. And sayeth Russell in said blog:

"The Court Report on Thursday evening will be looking in more depth at the technical detail of this proposed new body. Media7 will take a more journalistic tack, with an interview I conducted last week with the Law Commissioner, Professor John Burrows, to be followed by a panel discussion with Bernard Hickey of interest.co.nz and one other to be confirmed."
- Russell Brown

Victoria's Steven Price is hosting The Court Report: (See… http://www.medialawjournal.co.nz/?p=534) and also appearing in the panel is myself, Alastair Thompson, General Manager and Co-founder of Scoop.

In his blog post on the Law Commission's "The News Media Meets 'New Media' the report Price says:

"It’s in two parts. The first is about regulation of - for want of a better phrase - mainstream media. That is, the media whose business it is to regularly deliver news and views. That includes TV and radio, newspapers and magazines. But should it also include Scoop and Voxy? Aren’t they part of the mainstream now? Why should a Scoop reporter not get the privileges (such as exemption from the Privacy Act, journalist source protection and access to courts) that other media outlets get? Correspondingly, why should they be exempt from some sort of complaints process concerning things like accuracy, fairness and privacy?"

Also on the panel for the show will be Auckland based Geek-Lawyer and foo-camper Rick Shera (aka @lawgeeknz) http://lawgeeknz.posterous.com/.

The Court Report show will be shot tonight at the Victoria University Law School in The old NZ Parliament Buildings (MAP: http://bit.ly/vEbSuC - LT2 is around the back) starting at 6.30pm. Assembly begins around 6pm and getting there around 6.15 is probably adviseable.

Anyone is welcome as there is a considerable number of seats in the venue.

The Court Report is broadcast on Freeview and Sky's TVNZ7's Channel on Thursday Night 9.30pm and Sunday Night 10.30pm. It is also available on demand.

See… http://tvnz.co.nz/the-court-report/court-report-index-group-3602627

Media 7 is also available on demand here http://tvnz.co.nz/media7 & here http://www.youtube.com/user/TVNZMedia7 and will be broadcast on Thursday at 9.05pm.

I am still making up my mind precisely what I think about the recommendations of the report though in response to Steven Price's remarks I would observe that I already consider myself protected by the special privileges which apply to news media - with our without law reform. That said and any feedback would be welcome. Please email sludge@scoop.co.nz .

I will post video links in a follow up Sludge Report posting on Friday.

Best Regards
Alastair Thompson
Scoop.co.nz

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Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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